Aesthetics
Aesthetics class is a one semester course available to juniors and seniors.  In this class, students explore the philosophy of beauty.  The first quarter of the course surveys aesthetics in Western literature, both historically and culturally, focusing on the connection of philosophical view with the creation of art.  Students read Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, Tolstoy, Santayana, Weitz and Bey.  After establishing a firm ground in the literature of aesthetics in general, attention is turned specifically to 20th century aesthetics in music.   Students read works of Pierre Boulez and Leonard Meyer.  This class is open to non-majors with consent of the instructor.

Creative Writing Workshops
Workshops can include, but are not limited to, poetry, playwriting, screenwriting, creative nonfiction, short story, and novel writing.  The course is designed to develop writing and language skills needed for individual expression in literary forms.  Students share their work in a group environment to benefit from an interactive revision process and to develop a vocabulary with which to discuss writing in a positive and supportive manner.

Critical Thought
Open to juniors and seniors, this one semester philosophy-based course examines the art of thinking. It surveys several systems of logic, both formal and informal, and provides students with techniques for exploring the structure and role of thought itself.  This class is open to non-majors with consent of the instructor.

Fashion and Costume Design
This full year course encompasses design, garment construction, accessories, print, and presentation for stage and show.  The class culminates each year with a spring fashion show.  This class is open to non-majors.

Graphic Storytelling
This class is designed for students interested in the ancient art of sequential narrative, a unique medium that arranges static images to represent a story or dramatize an idea.  We refer to this medium as "comics."   In the past 100 years comics have entered the lexicon of pop culture to the point where certain comic book characters are now among the most recognizable "people" in the world.  The form lends itself to a certain branch of contemporary mythology, certainly in America.  Students in the class write and illustrate, work together in design teams with students of different disciplines, and ultimately create a finished product.  This course is open to Creative Writing, Interdisciplinary, Moving Pictures and Visual Art majors.

Introduction to Chinese New Year Lion Dance
This class will give students a chance to learn and participate in an ancient performance art form that is an interdisciplinary  fusion of dance, music, drama, and  martial arts.  Working together as a team, students will learn how to make the Lion come alive and together enact a powerful tradition to bring good luck and happiness to adults and children in the Idyllwild and extended Inland Empire community.

Introduction to Wu Mei Kung Fu
This class is designed to introduce students to classical Chinese martial art as expressed through the art of Wu Mei Pai. It is taught in the traditional method for health, strength and self-defense without aggression or violence. Students will explore the physical details of stance, posture, and movement through the choreography particular to the Wu Mei system, as well as Chinese culture and philosophy as they apply to understanding martial art

Performance Workshop
Performance Workshop is required for all Interdisciplinary Arts majors.  The course is designed to provide a forum in which students can develop their own performance skills in various disciplines of the arts.  Students have several opportunities to work on their performance skills as well as their ability to critique in a workshop environment.  This aspect of the course addresses various facets of performance mastery.  Additionally, students are exposed to interdisciplinary artists working successfully in their fields.  Guest lecturers discuss with the class their insights into crafting a career grounded in more than one area of the arts. 

Photojournalism
Photojournalists must be both visually and verbally astute in the development of the subtext that blends pictures with the written word.  Students in this course learn how to interrelate picture and word by creating print based stories and developing portfolios that convey information through both images and words.  This course is offered when staffing and enrollment permit.

Technical Theatre
This is a hands-on production class in which students work directly with the campus technical director.  All class hours are devoted to technical production and support of the performing arts departments campus wide (excluding the Theatre department which crews from within their own department).  Additionally students in this class assist all special events that require technical support.  All work is done in various performance venues on and off campus.  Students also support audio/visual set ups and presentations on campus.  The work can be time consuming and physically strenuous.  Students will learn basic stage management, lighting design and practices, audio engineering, set-up, reinforcement and live recording.  The hours for the class are primarily nights and weekends on an on-call basis.  The class can be repeated year-to-year. This course is open to non-majors.  Permission of the department chair is required.

Technical Theatre Seminar
Once a student has learned and is excelling in the basics of the Technical Theatre class, he or she may take this advanced level honors course.  The work in the course is the same as that detailed in the Technical Theatre class description, but students in this course are working at a high level of competency and responsibility.  Typically a student will advance to the honors level course after having taken the basic level course for one to two years.  In some cases a student may go directly into the Seminar course if he or she has a   background in and demonstrates proficiency with at least two of the following areas: audio, lighting, and/or stage management.  This course is open to non-majors.  Permission of both the department chair and the technical director is required to take this course.

The Brush and the Sword: The Integrated Search for the Center in Asian Arts and Thoughts
Dance, poetry, painting, philosophy, music, and martial arts all happen in a single brushstroke.  Recognizing the importance of Asian ideas in the global world of arts and commerce, this class provides students both study and participation in the Asian arts.  The five pillar philosophies of China: I Ching, Five Elements, Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism provide the framework for the specific instruction in “Calligraphy, Painting, Swordsmanship, and Chinese Lion Dance.

World Rhythm Studies: Clapping, Tapping and Rapping
This course is a survey of rhythmic practices of various world cultures including a study of percussion instruments of the world.  Students perform using assorted percussion instruments, hands and feet.  There is emphasis on video and listening exercises and rhythmic theory.  Cultural focus includes Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe.   This course is offered when staffing and enrollment permit.

Yearbook/Desktop Publishing
In this full year course, students learn basic photography, layout, graphics, journalistic and editorial skills. The main project for this class is the publication of the Idyllwild Arts Academy Yearbook. Students are divided into design teams that are responsible for the production of various parts of the publication.  All students take part in the decision-making processes that lead to the overall design of the yearbook and learn to create a professional publication from beginning to end.  Permission from the department chair is needed to take this class.

Other Classes
Because the needs of the department and the availability of guest artists and lecturers change, classes or workshops may be offered as the need or opportunity arises.  Such courses may range in length from one quarter to one year and may include topics such as The Arts and History, Existentialism and Art, Immediatism, Performing Arts and the Internet, and Performance Art and Drama.

Courses offered in other departments and available to Interdisciplinary Arts majors are:

Literary Magazine/Parallax
Playwriting
Poetry
Anatomy & Kinesiology
Ballet for Non-Majors
Dance History
Jazz Dance
Tap Dance
Yoga
Acting for the Camera
Film History
Introduction to Film
Film Scoring
Photography for Filmmakers
Production Design
Screenwriting
Class Piano/Class Voice
Jazz Improvisation
Music History
Music Theory
Private Lessons
Acting Improvisation
Music Fundamentals for Musical Theatre
Theatre History
Theatre Production
Art History
Ceramics
Computer Graphics
Digital Photography
Drawing
Mixed Media
New Genres
Painting
Photography
ScreenprintingSculpture